In the manufacture of carriers used to package products, such as multi-cell, basket type carriers for cans or bottles containing liquids or other similar materials from paperboard materials, it is customary to use a sheet of continuous length of the paperboard material. The sheet of continuous length is processed through conventional apparatus to form a plurality of carrier blanks having cut, fold and score lines therein. The carrier blanks are then processed through conventional apparatus wherein the carrier blanks are folded in a series of operations to form folded carriers. It is customary to form folded carriers from the carrier blanks at the rate between about 350 and 400 folded carriers per minute.
One of the problems associates with forming folded carriers from carrier blanks at these rates of production is that of ensuring that the various portions of the folded carrier are in proper alignment. The apparatus for inserting the cans or bottles in to the folded carriers operates at substantially the same rates of speed at which the carriers are formed. This apparatus is designed with structures that are adapted to receive portions of the folded carrier at specific locations. If these portions of the folded carriers are not at these specific locations because of a misalignment of these portions, the production line must be shut down. At the above rates of speed, it is readily apparent that any production downtime resulting from a misalignment of portions of the folded carrier is very serious.